Reflector



I Oct. 3, 19 39.

G. DlETZ REFLECTOR Filed Dec. 21, 1936 Gaffe 1 Die 2% Patented Oct. 3, 1 939 Z, 1 7

iJNl'lE ETA'EES FATENT OFFICE REFLECTOR Gustav Dietz, West Hollywood, Calif.

Application December 21, 1936, Serial No. 117,025

1 Claim. (Cl. Zed-41.36)

This invention relates generally to lamp re- Fig. 5 is a cross section of the light beam taken flectors, and more particularly to an improved on line E5 of Fig. 6. type of reflector for an airplane landing light Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing the having an incandescent lamp as the source of manner in which the light beams hit the ground 5 light. when an airplane is approaching the ground to 5 Ordinary reflectors produce a light of either land. the spot type or of the flood type. The spot Referring more particularly to the drawing, light producing reflector is objectionable in that reference numeral N indicates a shell, or base, it puts too much light in a small area, and. conpreferably of spun aluminum having a socket 0 sequently is not suitable for use as landing light portion i2 adapted to receive a lamp socket (not 0 equipment on airplanes. On the other hand, the shown). In the socket portion is mounted a flood light reflector spreads the light to such an ring i3, having a flange l4. extent horizontally that the resulting light is The reflector has a composite reflecting surtoo greatly diffused and is not capable of giving face which is divided into four major reflecting sufiicient illumination directly in the path of a sections, designated by the letters A, B, C, and landing airplane. D. Each of these sections has a plurality of In view of these objectionable features, it is reflecting surfaces formed upon reflecting sega primary object of this invention to provide a ments which will subsequently be described in reflector for an airplane landing light which will detail. The opposite vertical sections A and B combine the best qualities of the spot type and cooperate to produce a circular beam or" light 20 flood type lights in order to produce a desired in cross-section, while the opposite horizontal distribution of light over the ground from the sections C and D cooperate to produce a flat beam immediate foreground to a considerable distance Of light W c a s y u e Circular with desired spread, and having an increased bea intensity of illumination horizontally directly in Preferably thcs 58 0 8 are 50 formed a the path of the airplane as it approaches the the width of the sections at their outer ends as ground to make a landing. measured on the periphery 23 (formed by the It is a particular object of this invention to outer edge of the reflecting segments) is greater provide a reflector that will produce simultanefor the sections A and B than it is for the sec- 0 ously a circular beam of light and a horizontal ion C and T the distance f p n light beam cutting across and extending laterally 2! t 1 0 i5 0f Section A On the P p y 33, beyond the circular beam, the horizontal light and the corresp distance from point beam being of greater strength than the circular to point ii f he se t n B i re r h n the beam. It is a further object of this invention to distan e from p in 2| to p nt IQ of section C v provide a reflector of the type described, by or e d e frOm point t0 P011113 0f 35 dividing its reflecting surface into four major section D. These distances 2l-l5 and |9l'i reflecting sections or areas, each section having are each greater than one-fourth of the distance a plurality of reflecting surfaces, the opposite around the periphery 23, while the distances sections cooperating to produce desired types of 2li9 and lfi-il are each less than one-fourth 40 light beams. Finally, it is a further object of of the distance around the periphery 23. How- 40 this invention to provide a reflector of the type ever, the sections A and B converge more toward described Which is accurate and efficient and is the center of the reflector than the sections C of durable construction. and D, so that the width of the sections A and These objects are achieved in the construction B at their inner ends, as measured around the shown in the accompanying drawing, in which flange Hi of ring I3, is less than that of the sec- 45 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the reflector. tions C and D. Thus, the distances from point Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of 22 to point it and point 20 to point is are less Fig. 1. than the distances from point 22 to point 28 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a reflectand point E5 to point l8 around the periphery 50 ing segment used for producing the circular light of flange M. The distances 22l6 and 2ill8 beam. are each less than one-fourth of the distance Fig. 4 is a plan View showing in diagrammatic around the flange It while distances 2220 and form the shape of the light beams produced by lEl8 are each more than one-fourth the dis the reflector. tance around flange l4. However, the shape and 55 surface.

size of the areas might be varied somewhat without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the sections A and B, reflecting segments 25, which have converging sides 26 and 21, form the reflecting bodies. These segments are made of flexible metal strips, having a suitable reflecting surface applied to them. The strips are flat from side to side and have a slightly broken surface indicated by the line 28. When mounted in the reflector, each segment has a straight flat surface from side to side, that is, on any line at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the segment and on the surface plane of the segment at that point. Longitudinally each segment is curved corresponding to the curve of the inner surface of the shell H. However, due to the breaks in the reflecting surface indicated by numerals 28, the reflecting surface is not a true curve, but may be described as substantially curved. These segments are held in place at their inner end by the flange l4 under which they fit, and at their outer end by screws 29 which engage notches 25' of segments 25 (Fig. 3) and through the shell ll, nuts (not shown) engaging the outer ends of the screws. In order to fit into the curved inner surface of the shell H, the segments 25 have one side slightly con vexly curved and one straight side. But for the one slightly curved side of these members, they would be trapezium-shaped.

The longitudinal axes of the middle segments in each of the sections A and B are radially disposed in the shell ll while the other segments 25 from the middle of the sections outward to the side are each increasingly inclined with relation to radial lines extending outwardly from the center of the reflector. The sections C and D have reflector segments 33 which are likewise made of strips of metal, each having a reflecting The inner side 34 of each of these segments is convexly curved, except the innermost one in each section, which is cut concavely to fit over ring I3, and under its flange M, while the outer side of each is straight (with the exception of the outer one on each area which is curved to produce the curved outer boundaries of the section). The ends of the segments 33 are cut at an angle as indicated in order that they may fit into and form the sections C and D which converge toward the center of the reflector, as disclosed in Fig. 1. Thus each segment is of less length than its neighboring outward segment. The segments (except the two inner ones which are cut away to flt around the ring I3) are substantially trapezoidal in shape and could be thus defined were it not for the one curved side of each. Mounted in the reflector each segment has a straight flat surface from side to side on any line at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the segment and on the surface plane of the segment at that point. Longitudinally each segment is curved corresponding to the curve of the inner surface of the shell Hi, however, due to the formation of the reflecting surface with breaks therein, the reflecting surface is not a true curve and can only be described as substantially a curved surface. These se ments are also held in place by means of screws, here indicated as 35, which extend through holes in the base H, and have nuts on the outer side of the base H. The segments have their longitudinal axes vertically disposed in the reflector.

The segments 33 in the sections C and D produce the flat wide beam above referred to, and by reason of the fact that they have a broken surface, they reflect a light free from images, and of even quality. The segments 25 in the opposite vertical sections A and B produce the circular iight referred to above. The reason for dividing the sections A, B, C, and D into a plurality of slightly broken reflecting surfaces is to provide a smooth even light without dark spots.

Although the opposite vertical sections A and B have been shown and described as comprising a plurali y of reflecting segments 25, it is within the scope of this invention to form each of these reflecting sections A and B with a plain, unbroken reflecting surface and not use a plurality of reflecting surfaces. lUhus, each of the sections A and B might comprise merely a single reflecting surface. This would produce a circular beam smaller in diameter than that produced by a device having a plurality of reflecting surfaces, but it would give a stronger light.

In Fig. i there is diagrammatically illustrated a plan View of a light produced by the reflector. The beam indicated by reference numeral 40 is the beancircular in cross-section produced by the vertical opposite sections A and B. Superimposed across the middle of this beam and extending beyond it and spreading outwardly is the beam 1!, produced by the horizontal sections C and D.

Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically the way in which the light beam intersects the ground when an airplane is approaching the ground to make a landing. Here an airplane wing .2 is diagrammatically shown, which has mounted thereon a landing light 43 having embodied therein a reflector of the type herein described. Reference numeral iii indicates the circular beam produced by the opposite vertical sections A and B of the reflector and ii indicates the flat beam. From this it can be seen that the reflector produces a desirable spread of light over the ground giving illumination from the immediate foreground to a distance of 2,000 feet or more.

Fig. is an enlarged cross-section of the light taken on line 55 of Fig. 6. It clearly illustrates the manner in which the flat beam intersects and is superimposed upon the circular beam.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in a particular manner and the reflecting segments have been described to be of particular shape, it is not essential to this invention that they be exactly so shaped. Neither is it essential to the invention that the sections A and B, and C and D be shaped exactly as described and illustrated or in the exact proportions described, but it is within the scope of this invention to vary the relative dimensions of the sections and the reflecting segments.

1 claim as my invention:

A reflector comprising: a shell having a centrally disposed lamp socket opening; a ring member mounted in said opening, said ring having a flangethereon extending beyond said opening at the inner end thereof; a plurality of reflecting segments having converging sides and being of equal width substantially radially mounted in said shell and forming oppositely disposed reflecting areas; the inner ends of said members extending under said flange of said ring, the outer ends of said members being individually secured to said shell by means of screws; and a plurality of vertically extending reflecting members mounted said shell to form oppositely disposed reflecting areas; said members being individually secured to said shell by means of screws.

GUSTAV DIETZ. 

